Advertising conferences make the best of the industry available to any and every marketer. They hold all the glamour and allure that you’d expect from a group of the best advertisers, paired with valuable insights and tools.
With the quickly changing marketing landscape, professionals can’t afford to be stuck with old ideas. Conferences, events and summits serve to refresh your marketing mind.
We’ve put together this list of the 16 conferences advertising professionals should keep an eye on. Find a few that interest you, mark your calendar, and get ready to return with the best ideas that marketing has to offer.
Code/Media
This tech/digital-focused conference brings together industry leaders and media innovators. With a lineup that includes leaders at Major League Baseball, Cosmopolitan, Hulu, Buzzfeed and Sony, some of the biggest names and minds in advertising and media will be in Dana Point, California.
February 17-18
Dana Point, California
Cross-Channel Marketing Insider Summit
Advertisers today have more marketing channels available than ever. Even in out-of-home media, we’re seeing more and more incredibly creative vendors and assets popping up every day. How can a marketer keep track of what channels should be used for what messages? And more importantly, how can you make them play nice together as part of a coordinated campaign? That’s what the summit seeks to discuss.
February 24-27
Phoenix, Arizona
New York Audience Based Buying Summit
This summit describes itself as the only global event solely focused on audience-based buying. If you’re not familiar with ABB, it’s the extension of behavioral targeting made possible by the extensive consumer data now available. The New York summit promises to showcase new ways to buy and execute video media across platforms like TV, digital and digital out-of-home.
March 2
New York City
ANA Masters of Media Conference
“The only constant in the media industry is change.” Think about all the ways the relationship between advertisers and media sellers has changed even within the last decade. New issues like media fragmentation, potential piracy, lack of transparency, and balance between traditional and new forms of media are all at the forefront of every advertiser’s mind. See how the most successful brands are handling the changes and setting themselves up to thrive.
March 2-4
Hollywood, Florida
OMMA@SXSW
SXSW is a hotbed of fancy new tech, and the burgeoning focus on virtual and augmented reality promises to keep the spotlight on the cutting-edge. OMMA@SXSW takes a practical look at new tech, and what it can accomplish for marketers today.
March 11-12
Austin, Texas
AAA Annual Conference
The American Academy for Advertising Annual Conference allows attendees to pick and choose which events, speakers and workshops they attend. As a result, the conference touches on just about any aspect of marketing you want to learn more about. The role of corporate social responsibility in advertising, persuasion science, location-based advertising, brand communities and gamification are just a sampling of the huge range of topics on the docket.
March 17-20
Seattle, Washington
4A’s Transformation
Transformation is the flagship event of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. It sits at the crossroads of inspiring thought leadership and practical advice for navigating the changing world of technology, media, advertising and marketing. Transformation is the biggest, flashiest event of the year, and we look forward to it all year long.
March 21-24
Miami, Florida
TAB/OAAA Out Of Home Media Conference & Expo
This is the main conferences of the Traffic Audit Bureau, the most important source of out-of-home media data and ratings. This year’s Boca Raton event takes a look at the big picture of the advertising landscape. The focus will be on the changes and challenges every marketer experiences- and more importantly, how to manage and overcome them.
April 18-20
Boca Raton, Florida
ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference
No marketer can afford to ignore finance. (Get it? Afford?) If you had a dime for every time you struggled to demonstrate ROI… well, you’d need to manage all of those dimes. Great advertising is enabled by good financial management. This conference connects colleagues across the advertiser, client, finance and media selling spheres.
May 1-4
Boca Raton, Florida
Experiential Marketing Summit
Some of the most exciting and glamorous marketing comes in the form of experiential advertising. It’s the champagne of advertising. Everybody knows it’s something special, and despite the glitzy image, it’s not just for the big shots.
May 4-6
Denver, Colorado
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
If you can get yourself to France, get yourself to Cannes. You know Cannes Lions for the awards, and the chance to see award-winning work all in one place. Even better though, is the chance to actually meet the award winners. Hear their stories at speaking events, and network with them in workshops. Cannes Lions is advertising.
June 18-25
Cannes, France
ANA/BAA Shopper Marketing Conference
Some marketers hate that the power has shifted to consumers. Some love it because now brands can listen and deliver exactly what consumers want. No matter where you stand, the dynamic has changed, and marketers need to adapt and have a strategy to reach consumers where they are. This conference will feature thought leadership and new ideas around shopper marketing.
July 25-27
Amelia Island, Florida
ANA Masters of Measurement Conference
What gets measured is what gets done. As a marketer, data makes you smarter. You have an incredible amount of data available to you. Knowing what you’re looking for and how to find the patterns can help you make smarter decisions. That’s an advantage that can put you and your business miles ahead.
September 14-16
Naples, Florida
Advertising Week
2015’s New York gathering featured over 290 events and 900 speakers. The week acts as a springboard for the most important and forward-thinking marketing ideas. Thought leadership, actionable tips, case studies, entertainment… Advertising Week’s got it all.
September 26-30
New York City
ANA Masters of Marketing Conference
The speakers at the Masters of Marketing Conference aren’t just industry leaders, but leaders in their own businesses. They’ve built the brands you know: Audi, PepsiCo, Arby’s, Airbnb, etc. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from the masters.
October 19-22
Orlando, Florida
ad:tech
More than just a conference, ad:tech is an exhibition of the best that the marketing, tech and media communities have to offer. Over 200 exhibitors converge to bring their ideas to the world of advertising pros. If you want to see cutting-edge, ad:tech is the place to be.
November 2-3
New York City
Our mission is to change the way media is bought and sold. We share that with the biggest brands and the brightest minds in advertising. Conferences are a great way to connect with the best in the business and bring fresh, cutting-edge ideas to life in your marketing. Attend one that fits your goals, learn, collaborate, and share what you take away from what’s sure to be one of the best experiences of your year.
